Help:Allusions and Similarities
Phineas and Ferb is amongst the many shows that slip in references to other works. Some are readily apparent while others are subtle. This page will clarify what is an allusion to another work and what is a similarity or coincidence. Allusions An allusion is a reference to something outside the show. Whenever possible, there should be no doubt that it really is referring to the work being listed. For example, the episode "Are You My Mummy?" features a giant gumball machine rolling after Phineas and Ferb (and later, Candace). This is a reference to the movie Raiders of the Lost Ark, where the giant boulder rolls after Indiana Jones at the beginning of the movie, the first place where we see this kind of event happening in any movie. Another example occurs in "Phineas and Ferb Get Busted" where Phineas, Ferb and Baljeet undergo conditioning to remove their creativity. Part of the process involves a device to keep their eyes open and Baljeet saying, "The book was better". The first references a famous scene in the film, A Clockwork Orange, and the second references the original novel. Other allusions are a little more subjective about whether they really are referencing a work outside of the show. In these situations, you should add words like "may be a reference to" in the allusion. This lets other members of the community double-check the allusion to see if it's valid or not. Similarities and coincidences Listing similarities should avoided as much as possible. This is due to the fact that if you relax the standards by which they should be listed, anything can be similar to anything else. In addition, many similarities are coincidences rather than a definite allusion. For example, in "Phineas and Ferb Christmas Vacation!", it was revealed that Dr. Doofenshmirtz has a relative named Justin. A recent edit to that page added the fact that another Disney show, Wizards of Waverly Place, has a character named Justin. The edit was removed because it was simply a coincidence that two Disney shows happened to have characters with the same first name. Another situation to avoid involves listing song and episode titles. Both can be used in numerous places. If, for example, you were to add an entry that "The Power of Love" references the song by Huey Lewis and the News, there would have to be additional reasons listed why this is specific to his group and not any of the following: :* the different song of the same title by Jennifer Rush ::* the version of this song recorded by Laura Branigan ::* the version of this song recorded by Céline Dion :* the different song of the same title by Frankie Goes to Hollywood :* the five different movies with that same title :* any of the books that have that title :* any TV shows that might use that phrase as an episode title Testing before inclusion Before you add a reference to an outside work, ask yourself the following questions: # "Is this reference unique or memorable?" # "If I list that Item A is an allusion to Item B, will other people immediately see the connection between them?" # "Is there more than just Item A being similar to Item B?" # "Is it just a coincidence that Item A happens to share something in common with Item B?" # "Am I adding this allusion because I want there to be a connection between Phineas and Ferb and this other item?" The last question can be the most important. A desire to make a connection between Phineas and Ferb and another source can create connections when none really exist, or are just similarities. This should be avoided, since it only serves your self-interest, rather than benefiting the wiki. If you are having doubts that your reference is distinct enough to qualify as a true allusion, post the information on the Talk/Discussion page first and get feedback from other members of the wiki. They may have suggestions on how to improve what you are planning on adding, or may provide additional information you might not have considered. Allusions and Similarities